Gas additives help mowers start better

Saturday

Q: My lawn mower refuses to start. What's the best way to store a small engine for months so that when it's time to use it, you can depend on it starting?

Q: My lawn mower refuses to start. Whatís the best way to store a small engine for months so that when itís time to use it, you can depend on it starting?

A: I have small engines in snowblowers, a lawn mower, a hydraulic log splitter and a standby generator. All the engines sit idle for months at a time, so itís important that they respond when I need them.

The gasoline you and I purchase contains 10 percent ethanol. A blend of more than 10 percent ethanol can cause significant damage to small engines, so avoid it.

Gasoline begins to degrade about 30 days after itís pumped. If youíve not used all the fuel in your gas cans within that time, pour it into your vehicleís gas tank and get fresh fuel for your small engines.

Ethanol-based fuels tend to attract water. Water is heavier than gasoline. If you donít operate the engines frequently, a layer of ethanol-enriched water settles to the bottom of the tank and is drawn into the carburetor and engine. This water-ethanol blend corrodes small-engine parts and creates gum and varnish that can lead to stuck intake valves and clogged fuel lines and jets in the carburetor. This could be your engineís problem.

I fill my small engines with only enough gasoline for each work session. That keeps fresh gasoline in the tank, fuel lines and carburetor.

I discovered that if I run the engine out of gas at the end of each season, right before storing it, Iím able to restart the engine with no issues. After talking with Wayne Rassel of Briggs & Stratton, however, Iíve decided that state-of-the-art fuel treatments and stabilizers are probably the best way to protect my small engines throughout the year.

The additives protect the fuel system and the engine parts exposed to the gasoline. Detergents in the additives help prevent the formation of the gum and varnishes that cause starting issues.

For two years of protection, add half an ounce to each 2Ĺ gallons of gasoline. Double the amount for protection up to three years.

Tim Carter is a columnist for Tribune Media Services. He can be reached via his website, www.askthebuilder.com.

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